Nature pick: Flock of Gatherers or King's Feast?

[Alan Sylver]

I just unlocked Triglav and find the nature character picks underwhelming, the bonus picks on the other hand... O_O

The ones that caught my eye were Flock of Gatherers and King's Feast. Flock seems more like an early game advantage, as my last game didn't really need that kind of bonus once I got settled with T3. King's Feast on the other hand saves a few research points, but also allows to get started with big food boni really fast.

What's your experience with those two boni, and what would you recommend?

[Lorska]

Hunter is one of the best cheap starting options, so don't dismiss them like this.

Flock of gatherers really only makes sense if you don't expect to build a village or have a very specific quick start in mind.

Research points in the base game are fairly abundant. Though I can see it being worthwhile if you intend to build a village early, because it helps you feed your numerous characters which you want anyway and you want to spend research on other things.

[Alan Sylver]

How is a hunter (2 nature) better than, say, a warrior, which costs either half (1 turmoil) or the same (2 neutral) without the domain pick?

In my last game, I hit a point where I didn't get new research points fast enough. Which ended with my crafters twiddling their thumbs. Unlocking a new material or equipment tier earlier seems pretty nice to me. Not to mention the food bonuses are really nice, even midgame.

[ViniJones]

Hunter costs 2 god points though. >.< It is a good option, but not exactly a cheap one.*

- Flock of gatherers might help you in the first 30 turns, but thats about it.
- Kings feast is good on paper. Though 5 research points might not be much, it sure is comfortable to have all the combinations available from the get-go.


Also, go four-legged friend, seriously.

[Lorska]

Well considering the other 3+ cost options that just break the game I think cheap is fair.

Hunters are better than warriors because they reduce encounter difficulty for animals

[ViniJones]

They do what? I thought they add another option, not reduce the red one. You mean that they add the yellow one thats a easier...?

Hunter has high value with their dialogue options and gathering, but the apprentice suffices for
me. I no longer need a hunter from turn 1.
A warrior can carry the team through the first month or more, killing not just animals, but undead and scavengers as well.

Mind you, I think this is optimal, hunters are utility, warriors are muscle.

[Wandering Mania]

Originally posted by Lorska:

Well considering the other 3+ cost options that just break the game I think cheap is fair.

"Break the game"? How? If you mean that the 3+ options make the game a bit easier, then just boost the difficulty. Not like the 'easiest' settings are all that 'easy' in itself. But if you think it needs to be more difficult, there is options.

[ViniJones]

Originally posted by Wandering Mania:

"Break the game"? How?

He means: Start with a druid. Beat the map. Naked. Under 200 turns.
I dont even know what the clanless smith does... probably smiths a bunch a stuff.
Doesnt really matter, when you only have 4 points. :)

[Lorska]

I don't want to derail this topic but most of the powerful child characters are just about surviving until they grow up and then you pretty much won. Tweaking difficulty just makes it harder to survive until they do but don't change fundamentally how that works. Some starting options just spike too hard to be considered balanced.

Hunters add some concept challenge or you just get an option that tends to be about 1 level below the regular challenge level.

Anyway, again I didn't want to argue about this as it has nothing to do with OP's question.

[ViniJones]

Oh you meant the children... the gatherers you can make those into? Definitely powerful, not really one-man army types though.

[Lorska]

Well I only mentioned those because how powerful things like druids are... I don't think this has to be mentioned xD

[ViniJones]

Well damn, sorry? :D

[Alan Sylver]

So... favorite nature picks?

[ViniJones]

Yea, I would go four-legged friend or gathering range.

Out of the 2 you posted, take king´s feast.

[Alan Sylver]

What does four-legged friend give me? A spider pet? What is that good for?

[Wandering Mania]

Originally posted by ViniJones:

Originally posted by Wandering Mania:

"Break the game"? How?

He means: Start with a druid. Beat the map. Naked. Under 200 turns.

How would that even be possible? Most of those victory conditions are based on grind, waiting, hammering away at the 'Next Turn' key, and pure luck.
For example in my current game I am at turn 1050 about and I still have 1 needed from the top row to get a victory.